Radiation therapy of esophageal cancer: role of high dose rate brachytherapy.

Fifty untreated cases of squamous cell carcinoma arising from the middle one-third of the esophagus, with no apparent extraesophageal spread on a computed tomography (CT) scan and with a Karnofsky performance status of over 70, were treated by external beam irradiation to a dose of 3500 cGy/15 fractions/3 weeks. Twenty-five patients (Group A) received treatment with further external beam irradiation to a dose of 2000 cGy/10 fractions/2 weeks. Another group of 25 patients (Group B) received treatment with high dose rate intracavitary irradiation to a dose of 1200 cGy delivered in two sessions of 600 cGy each a week apart. All patients were assessed symptomatically, endoscopically, and radiologically every 3 months. There was marked difference at the end of 1 year in relief of dysphagia (37.5% in Group A vs. 70.6% in Group B), local control (25% in group A vs. 70.6% in group B) although the results were statistically insignificant (p greater than 0.05) and actuarial survival (44% in group A vs. 78% in group B) which was, however, significant statistically (z = 2.83). The cumulative radiation effect (CRE) by external beam irradiation was 1729 reu and by external beam and intracavitary irradiation 1741 reu, but the biological dose effect was better with external beam and intracavitary irradiation. Eight percent of patients treated by external beam and intracavitary irradiation had strictures in contrast to 4% treated by external beam irradiation alone. Moderate doses of external beam and intracavitary irradiation can give a better local response than external beam irradiation alone for the same biological dose in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma.